"Your biggest challenge isn't someone else. Its the ache in your lungs and the burning in your legs, and the voice inside you that yells 'CAN'T', but you don't listen. You just push harder. And then you hear the voice whisper, 'can'. And you discover that the person you thought you were is no match for the one you really are." ~unknown~

Sierra

Sierra

Monday, January 2, 2012

Good showing this afternoon with Tony, Brandon and Bill all in attendence for a 3pm start. Brandon took it out hard in his customary fashion, where he had us all huffing and puffing a bit going up Amphitheater, but once we topped out, he pulled aside and let Tony take over the pacemaking.

Tony and I got a little ahead and then waited at the 1st/Saddle junction, but somehow we ended up losing Brandon and Bill, so we kept moving up in hopes of re-connecting with them after we heard them yell from above somewhere. Fortunately, it was Tony's second ascent of the day (and he was being kind), but for my fitness level (or lack of) I felt like we were moving at a pretty good clip all the way to summit. I was definitely working beyond my fitness level, yet it somehow felt great.

We topped out and enjoyed the afternoon sun and soon Bill showed up without Brandon, so we set out searching. We soon found him on the trail a few minutes from the summit and he explained his post-holing (in shorts) adventures.

Took it somewhat easy on the down, as trail conditions are a bit tough right now, lot's of ice and variations of surface.

First run with the jogger in a while (~ month?). Went pretty easy it seemed, but the upper body was not used to the work, though the legs felt fine. Would have liked to add a few more miles, but needed to take a trip to the airport.

I am not one to make New Year's resolutions, but I found this to be inspiring:

Barring any debilitating injuries, I plan to stick to this (at least the best I can), as there are usually plenty of days in my year where I could easily squeeze in a mile or three or 5 from the front door, or from work, but just don't feel like doing it (mainly because it is not up a mountain).

Highlights, well, running related, this year was pretty minimal. I only raced twice (I think?), the Bolder Boulder and had a not so great run, mainly due to a lingering achilles injury at the time (and the requisite lack of fitness because of it), but running the Bolder Boulder is just a lark for me, as work has paid my entry the past 2 years. The highlight of the day though was re-running the race with Allison and "pacing" her to beat her goal time. This to me was more satisfying than if I had exceeded some random and arbitrary goal time I had set for myself.

Then of course my first marathon in August, Pikes Peak. I fell a bit short of my goals, but was reasonably satisfied with the outcome and results none the less, especially considering how little focus I really put into it. I guess I can't realistically expect much more without truly putting in the work (training structure, diet, etc...), but for me, I have to keep it fun and on my own terms and just let the chips fall where they may. Not to mention, Pikes Peak never fails to deliver an ass kicking no matter how well prepared I am.

Aside from that, 2011 was the year of the baby jogger. Having the Chariot has enabled me to stay sane as I typically care for the girls on my own 2-3 of my 3 days off each week and has helped us to explore Louisville, Boulder and Vail Pass. Unless we get a snowstorm, there is never really an excuse not to get outside for some exercise in some form or another.

Mountain climbing was also comparatively slim this year, yet simultaneously very satisfying as I was able to share these increasingly limited moments with great friends and family. My only new 13er summit was North Star back in July. I managed to get in 9 14ers (down from the normal ~30 per year), Decalibron, Princeton, Pikes, Grays, Torreys and a recent Winter ascent of Belford.

The bulk of my mountain adventures this year were on the peaks in Boulder, usually squeezed in after work, or occasionally a hurried trip if I had a spare 2 hours here and there. Exploring some new routes on Green have been a blast, as have night runs, snowy runs/hikes and carrying babies, either with Allison, or carrying both of them on my own all the way up Green Mountain.

I also got in a good bit of riding in the Spring, as I gave my achey Achilles a bit of a break. In March and April, I got in some amazing rides on the mountain bike, riding from my house, out to the Marshall/Eldo trails, sticking entirely to paths and singletrack. Much of it was fast and smooth cruising with some occasional technical sections, but that is what I really prefer anyways. Kind of like a road ride without the road and cars.

What will 2012 bring? I am not sure, but I will certainly take advantage of my free entry to the Pikes Peak Marathon in August and look to improve there. I would also love to run RRR again at some point, but that is a long shot because of the time to train/execute. I'll just be happy to enjoy all the time I possibly can in the mountains and avoid injury if at all possible.

Many more miles pushing the baby jogger are also a certainty. As the girls are getting bigger and more resiliant, I intend to get them out for longer and more interesting runs in the mountains further from home. We also plan to take the girls up some of the easier 14ers next summer as well in the baby backpacks which I am really looking forward to. They genuinely seem to enjoy the time we spend outdoors and I really look forward to developing this more and sharing our passion for the mountains.